


Due North

by hawthorn_and_holly (bigblueboxat221b)



Series: Drarropoly 2018 [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fate & Destiny, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 11:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16638911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/hawthorn_and_holly
Summary: For Drarropoly 2018.Rolled: 11Position: Enchanted Chest of TreasuresPrompt: One of them finds a magical compass that points to their soulmateWord limit: Less than 699 wordsSummary: Harry is drawn to follow the compass he's found.





	Due North

“What’ve you got there?”

Harry’s fingers closed instinctively. “Nothing.”

Ron snorted. “Yeah, right. Give it over.”

Harry sighed. “Found it at the back of my vault at Gringott’s.”

Ron whistled as he examined the delicate gold filigree. “What is it?”

“It’s a compass.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know, dad loves them. Something about Muggle…magnetrons?”

“Something like that, yeah,” Harry agreed.

Ron was frowning as he looked at it. “They’re not expensive, right? So what’s it doing in a wizard vault?”

Harry shrugged. He’d been surprised to see it, too. Of course, he had no idea why it was there, but over the years the same solution had worked whenever he didn’t know something.

“Have you asked Hermione?” Ron asked.

“I’m going to see her at lunch,” Harry said, grinning.

+++

“Harry,” breathed Hermione, ignoring her lunch. “Do you know what this is?”

“Of course I don’t,” Harry said. “That’s why I brought it to London’s foremost expert in rare magical artefacts.”

Hermione beamed at him. “Well you’ll be pleased to know I know exactly what this is. Have you wound it up?”

“Wound it up?” Harry repeated. He watched as Hermione pointed to a tiny wheel on the side. “No?”

“I think you should.” She passed the compass back to him, watching expectantly.

Harry glanced at Ron, who shrugged.

_Okay then._

Harry gripped the tiny wheel and turned it several times.

“Ow!” he yelped. The compass had flashed hot in his hand, and he dropped it onto the table.

Tentatively, Harry reached out to pick up the compass, examining it again.

It looked the same, but Harry could swear it was vibrating ever so slightly.

There was a sound, too. It was like a heartbeat, maybe? Super quiet, but insistent.

_Weird._

“It’s pointing to somewhere,” Hermione said. She took it from Harry, turning it and sure enough ,the needle remained pointing over Harry’s shoulder.

“I’m going to follow it,” Harry said impulsively. It felt right; the heartbeat sped up just a little at the declaration.

“Seriously?” Ron and Hermione said together.

“Come on, it’s the middle of the day, in the middle of London. I can hardly get lost,” Harry said. Before they could protest he grinned at them both and left them, stepping out of the Leaky Cauldron. The compass said left, so he turned left.

An hour later, Harry was grumpy and kind of annoyed at the heartbeat by now. He almost wanted to toss the compass and head home, but its warmth had been steadily increasing as he moved, and he couldn’t shake the idea that this was important.

A few more streets and his palm was tingling, the warmth on the very edge of pain. It spurred him on. _I must be close. What’s at the other end?_

Harry was watching the compass, so when he turned the corner and bumped into someone, his hand opened reflexively.

It was like slow motion. The compass fell. The heartbeat in his head accelerated until it was thrumming hard, and Harry’s seeker instinct kicked in, dropping him towards the compass.

He wasn’t fast enough.

Another hand beat him to it, and without realising Harry closed his own fingers over those now holding the compass.

“Salazar!” someone swore, and Harry stood to meet familiar blue eyes, as wide with surprise as his own felt.

“Draco,” he breathed.

“Harry?” his name came back to him.

Their eyes locked, then as though they’d agreed on it, both looked down.

Harry peeled his fingers away first, allowing Draco’s hand to open.

“You’re kidding,” Draco breathed. He looked up, eyes wide. “A soulmate compass?”

“A what?” Harry asked.

“It guides you to your soulmate,” Draco said. He looked down to where Harry’s hand still cradled his. “And when you touch, the pulse stops and the compass…” he trailed off as the compass glowed brightly then disappeared.

“Disappears,” Harry finished for him.

“So,” Harry said, the sound of his own heartbeat now loud in his ears. “Drink?”

“Yeah,” Draco replied, turning his hand to slide fingers hesitantly into Harry’s. Their faces flushed, matching shy grins as they made their way on, together.

 


End file.
